Somerset villagers' lorry misery from Morrisons regional centre - thisissomerset.co.uk

Somerset villagers' lorry misery from Morrisons regional centre - thisissomerset.co.uk

It sprawls towards the Somerset Levels like a village all of its own, but for the neighbours of the giant supermarket distribution centre beside the M5, their day-to-day has become far from that of typical village life.

For the homes of people living in Bawdrip, near the new Morrisons regional centre at Bridgwater, are being shaken 24 hours a day by the huge lorries serving it.

1. Residents from Bath Road Bawdrip

They say the supermarket has broken a promise to build an alternative route that would take the lorries outside the village. It has emerged such a route will not be ready until next year.

“We are seeing cracks appear in walls that were never there, windows are cracking due to the constant vibrations, we have not had a full night’s sleep since they started rumbling and rattling past, the disturbance is so severe,” said Marilyn Shields-Probett, who lives in Bawdrip. “Oh for a break of 15 minutes.”

“We have been assured that a bridge will be in place by ‘later in the year’ whenever that is but will our properties survive until then?”

Villagers say the bridge was supposed to be in place by the time the centre opened beside the M5 last autumn, but Sedgemoor District Council, the planning authority said that is not the case. It is a condition of a developer’s planning condition for the development of a wider area.

A spokesperson said; “Sedgemoor District Council is sympathetic towards the residents’ situation. It is not desirable for the volumes of HGV traffic from Morrisons RDC to be passing through a built up residential area and this is a temporary route only until work on the bridge over the railway line is completed. Work is well underway and we expected it to be finished around February 2013.

“There was no requirement for the bridge to be built before Morrisons RDC began operations and the construction is within the timeframe set out in the planning conditions agreed with the operator and Somerset County Council which is the Highways Authority. There have been minor delays in the programme as a result of the number of parties involved and complexity of the scheme. The council is aware of the matters raised by residents of North East Bridgwater and is working hard with all those involved to see that the bridge is finished as soon as possible.”

Somerset County Council said it is working closely with the developer and anticipates the bridge and associated works on the A38 will be open to traffic in spring 2013.

A spokesman said: “We have carried out an inspection of the A39 through Bawdrip and no safety defects (potholes) were found. There is however a need to carry out minor carriageway patching around two utility covers and this will be programmed for repair. Longer term, this site has been added to our structural maintenance programme for resurfacing. Given the current levels of expenditure and competing demands of the rest of the highway network in Somerset, it is unlikely that works would be promoted for at least two years.”

A Morrisons’ spokesperson said: “This bridge was a condition of the planning permission submitted by the developer, Hallam Land and it is anticipated that the work should be completed by the end of the year.”

Source: www.thisissomerset.co.uk

Asda set to double mobile commerce sales in next six months - CIO UK

The UK’s second largest supermarket, Asda, has said that it plans to double the number of sales it receives through mobile commerce over the next six months.

Asda’s iPhone application was launched six months ago and has since received more than half a million downloads. This was followed by the launch of an Android application one month ago, which has received 75,000 downloads.

Some six percent of its grocery orders are now placed via a mobile device, which will double in the next six months, according to the supermarket.

“Gone are the days when we could label a customer as either a traditional or a dot-com shopper. Customers don’t think in terms of channels or devices, they want to shop with ease, compare prices at the touch of a button, and pick up a product or have it delivered with the minimum of fuss,” said Judith McKenna, Asda’s chief operating officer.

“As a result, the world of retailing is being transformed at a remarkable rate and opening up exciting opportunities for retailers like ourselves.”

Asda has also revealed that it has an iPad application ‘in the pipeline’ and that it is planning to deploy in-store QR codes to enable customers to obtain additional product information, as well as customer reviews and ratings.

It was revealed last month that Asda is also planning to trial contactless payment technology in 25 of its stores from July onwards.

The contactless payment systems will be provided by both Visa and payment value chain specialist streamline, which claim that the technology helps retailers to reduce costs associated with cash handling.

Source: www.cio.co.uk

Plans for revamped Parade unveiled (From Watford Observer) - Watford Observer

Council unveils plans for new look Watford town centre

12:00pm Friday 1st June 2012 in News By Mike Wright, Chief Reporter

A bridge over the pond, less clunky street furniture and more trees and green spaces make up proposals to dramatically revamp the northern end of Watford town centre.

Designers commissioned by Watford Borough Council unveiled their vision for the top end of The Parade this week as part of a £4m regeneration scheme.

The plans, which will now go out to consultation, are for a much less cluttered Parade with space for public events and a cleaner pond.

The main features included: a wooden footbridge over the pond connecting the east and west banks. The pond itself will be smartened up, with the water cleaned, new foliage and new bordering.

The weir feature of the pond is set to go and there will be large steps leading down to the water for people to sit on.

The cycle lane markings in The Parade is set to be removed and the street opened up as an expansive pedestrian area.

Yet the cycle lane will remain in the underpass under Rickmansworth Road and one of the stairs cases leading up from the subway will be removed.

A line of trees will be planted across The Parade’s boundary with Rickmansworth Road, in a new raised grassy area.

South of the pond there will be more grassy areas with trees created.

The current plans do not show the Memory Wall, which was erected in The Parade in 2001, nor the large concrete balls that flank the vehicle acccess through the Parade. .

The designers, from the firm BDP, said they envision the new uncluttered Parade to be a space that will facilitate more outdoor events.

Two of the mock-ups they produced showed the street being used as the setting for an outdoor market and a music concert.

Mark Savage, who gave the presentation for BDP, said the overwhelming message the firm had got from consulting with the public over the plans was that they wanted the pond to remain.

As a result he said the plans had been designed to give the historic water feature a new lease of life.

"99.9 per cent want the pond to be retained," he said during the presentation in Oceana.

"It is a very important asset and a very unique asset. They would like to retain it and they would like it improved."

Now the provisional plans have been drawn up they will be showcased to the public at forthcoming events and in the council offices.

A series of drop in sessions are also being planned in June in Charter Place, Watford Central Library, Watford Town Hall and by the pond itself.

The firm said the plans were not cast iron and that aspects would be changed if they met with public disapproval.

Construction is slated to start in early 2013 and the work is expected to take around a year to complete.

The plans have come about as part of a drive by Watford’s elected mayor, Dorothy Thornhill, to draw more businesses to that part of the town by making it a more presentable environment.

At Wednesday’s meeting she said: "This whole agenda is about the economic prosperity of Watford. It is important that we as a council invest in the infrastructure in difficult times.

"It is no good waiting until things get better as by then we will be on the back foot and we want to be on the front foot."

The mayor also stressed that the £4.3million being spent on the project came from capital money which had to be spent on infrastructure.

"I hope that, like me, you will be excited by it," she added. "But no doubt there will be some things where you think you are not sure about that.

"We want to come up with master plan we can all be proud of."

Anyone who has thoughts on the design of The Parade can email their comments to the designers at whatifwatford@bdp.com

Comments(21)

TRT says...
12:11pm Fri 1 Jun 12

F***ing right royal waste of money yet again. I remember the last two revamps of the pond/high street, and I've only lived here for 20 years. TRT

Reg Edit says...
12:35pm Fri 1 Jun 12

I wouldn't waste £4.30 on this bit of rubbish, let alone £4.3 million! Kids from the local primary schools could have come up with better ideas that that excuse to waste ever more money. A Bridge over the pond? Staggering waste of money!

I think it says it all when Dotty says "This £4.3million has to be spent". No it doesn't dotty, you can find a way to use it to reduce council tax bills or refund it to the people of Watford, or spend it where and when necessary, not just on this whim because you've got the cash sitting around doing nothing. That's the problem with modern politicians, they have a need to spend our money on vanity projects like this.

Tell me this dotty, what would happen to the cash if this scheme didn't go ahead? DO YOU HAVE TO SPEND IT?

I'm very pleased to see they resisted the urge to plant a statue of St Dotty at the top of town, opposite the Town Hall. Had it gone ahead, I am sure the feathered residents of Watford would have shown it the due respect it deserved!

£4.3 million is actually a lot of money. If it's not needed, just give it back to us. There's no need to waste it. That's £54 each, and I would rather have £54 in my pocket than let you loose on the top of the town.

And in case anyone hasn't noticed, there's a recession on at the moment. Surely it would be better to tighten our belts and batten down the hatches until it passes. Someone tell the Liberals, I don't think they've noticed.

I wouldn't waste £4.30 on this bit of rubbish, let alone £4.3 million! Kids from the local primary schools could have come up with better ideas that that excuse to waste ever more money. A Bridge over the pond? Staggering waste of money! I think it says it all when Dotty says "This £4.3million has to be spent". No it doesn't dotty, you can find a way to use it to reduce council tax bills or refund it to the people of Watford, or spend it where and when necessary, not just on this whim because you've got the cash sitting around doing nothing. That's the problem with modern politicians, they have a need to spend our money on vanity projects like this. Tell me this dotty, what would happen to the cash if this scheme didn't go ahead? DO YOU HAVE TO SPEND IT? I'm very pleased to see they resisted the urge to plant a statue of St Dotty at the top of town, opposite the Town Hall. Had it gone ahead, I am sure the feathered residents of Watford would have shown it the due respect it deserved! £4.3 million is actually a lot of money. If it's not needed, just give it back to us. There's no need to waste it. That's £54 each, and I would rather have £54 in my pocket than let you loose on the top of the town. And in case anyone hasn't noticed, there's a recession on at the moment. Surely it would be better to tighten our belts and batten down the hatches until it passes. Someone tell the Liberals, I don't think they've noticed. Reg Edit

anon34 says...
12:50pm Fri 1 Jun 12

Half of that money is no doubt consultancy and desgin fees - crazy greedy world we live in!! anon34

TRT says...
12:52pm Fri 1 Jun 12

If it has to be used on infrastructure, why not sort out the grid lock around Bushey Arches by widening the road near the Mercedes showroom and building a relief bridge to smooth out the bend onto Dalton Way? Or fixing whatever it is that causes the system to backlog onto the M1 and M25 if Exchange Road closes? This is what puts (some) shoppers off coming to the centre.
If you want to spend it on environmental improvements, what about Lower High Street, which looks like a baked concrete wasteland now that there are no shops there anymore. Or lifts for High St station, with a bridge over to the pyramid and into the Harlequin, in preparation for CRL.
Or straightening out the kink in Cycle Highway 6 at Riverside, with that 1 in 5 gradient that kids on bikes find either great (but no so great for the walkers round the bend) or completely terrifying?
Or bring a cinema back into the town centre?
Or doing something with "The Artichoke", which has been empty for 15 years now.

This is an unimaginative scheme, even though the mayor has some fanciful idea about turning the high street into a place for concerts and parades, and it is basically throwing good money after bad. Most of that £4.3 million will end up in the pockets of architects and consultants anyway, leading to a need to skimp on the actual construction materials.

If it has to be used on infrastructure, why not sort out the grid lock around Bushey Arches by widening the road near the Mercedes showroom and building a relief bridge to smooth out the bend onto Dalton Way? Or fixing whatever it is that causes the system to backlog onto the M1 and M25 if Exchange Road closes? This is what puts (some) shoppers off coming to the centre. If you want to spend it on environmental improvements, what about Lower High Street, which looks like a baked concrete wasteland now that there are no shops there anymore. Or lifts for High St station, with a bridge over to the pyramid and into the Harlequin, in preparation for CRL. Or straightening out the kink in Cycle Highway 6 at Riverside, with that 1 in 5 gradient that kids on bikes find either great (but no so great for the walkers round the bend) or completely terrifying? Or bring a cinema back into the town centre? Or doing something with "The Artichoke", which has been empty for 15 years now. This is an unimaginative scheme, even though the mayor has some fanciful idea about turning the high street into a place for concerts and parades, and it is basically throwing good money after bad. Most of that £4.3 million will end up in the pockets of architects and consultants anyway, leading to a need to skimp on the actual construction materials. TRT

RogerF says...
12:55pm Fri 1 Jun 12

Well I like it. Taking away the cycle lane makes sence as it currently cuts up the pedestrian routes. The bridge is a feature too far possibly. But I agree that this end of town needs to be improved and made more for eating, events and out door activities, whilst the shops need to condense towards the harlequin. It would be good to make one side of the pond of late licence bars/clubs and the other for resturants. RogerF

Barley says...
1:28pm Fri 1 Jun 12

TRT - I'm afraid your idea for Bushey Arches is too late! The Mercedes garage is now another housing (over) development. Barley

TRT says...
1:31pm Fri 1 Jun 12

Really? I must have missed the planning application for that. You mean that the Mercedes showroom opposite Wickes, that habitually parks show vehicles on the wide grass verge (which I would be sad to see go, but needs must sometimes), has been sold to a property developer? TRT

TRT says...
1:34pm Fri 1 Jun 12

@RogerF. I think the council has more or less abandoned plans for a Café Quarter now, given the number of rejected alcohol license applications in the last couple of years. I might be wrong, though - I'm sure someone will delight in putting me right! TRT

LuthersLoveChild says...
1:34pm Fri 1 Jun 12

I'd love it if the Artichoke was sorted. good shout, stuff the rest Dotty. £4.3m is a lot to spend just for the sake of spending. And as lovely as you try and make the top of the town, it will still be full of vomit, urine, beer and the other flotsam that a binge drinking culture creates. I'm not an old man, but top of the town is out of bounds beyond about 6pm. Seems a shame to waste the money on the proposals mentioned. LuthersLoveChild

Maclanx says...
2:50pm Fri 1 Jun 12

[quote][p][bold]anon34[/bold] wrote: Half of that money is no doubt consultancy and desgin fees - crazy greedy world we live in!![/p][/quote]Yeah i wonder how much the actual construction side of it would cost in comparison? There are better things to spend that kind of money on and surely a redesign doesn't need to cost this amount? Maclanx

The Rover says...
3:09pm Fri 1 Jun 12

I'm glad that the council have listened to residents and are leaving the pond there, although I don't think there is any need to put a bridge over the middle of it. £4.3 million is hell of a lot of money and there are many other things that could be done to the town centre which would provide greater benefits and cost a lot less. Why not regenerate Queens' Road (only properly this time). Subsidise the rent to get the empty shops filled, give a 12 month period with no business rates, improve the parking, even consider completely pedestrianising it and give it the feel of being an open air part of the Harlequin. Doing things like this would create jobs and regenerate a part of the town that actually needs it, rather than just because the £4.3 million has to be spent. The Rover

nrlincoln says...
4:07pm Fri 1 Jun 12

Putting aside the fact that I can think of lots of areas that look a lot more shabby than The Parade, this is unbelievable. Whilst Rome burns the Council are building a bridge over the pond, connecting the "west and east banks". Jesus Christ, it's the POND in the parade, not the river Thames. What a waste of £4.3M of our money. My money. Here's an idea, if you really want to bring back business to the High Street: cut or suspend business rates to the tune of, oh, let's say £4.3M. Leave well alone. These vain, ego-centric busy-bodies in town hall are out of control. It's time for change. nrlincoln

LuthersLoveChild says...
4:15pm Fri 1 Jun 12

[quote][p][bold]nrlincoln[/bold] wrote: Putting aside the fact that I can think of lots of areas that look a lot more shabby than The Parade, this is unbelievable. Whilst Rome burns the Council are building a bridge over the pond, connecting the "west and east banks". Jesus Christ, it's the POND in the parade, not the river Thames. What a waste of £4.3M of our money. My money. Here's an idea, if you really want to bring back business to the High Street: cut or suspend business rates to the tune of, oh, let's say £4.3M. Leave well alone. These vain, ego-centric busy-bodies in town hall are out of control. It's time for change.[/p][/quote]i think from Dotty's original comments (and i could be wrong) that the money has to be spent on infrastructure/build ing rather that rate cuts. Notwithstanding that, the current proposals are completely pointless and a complete waste of cash. LuthersLoveChild

TRT says...
4:21pm Fri 1 Jun 12

Quite so. Seeing as though the last high street / parade revamp was paid for with cash raised from the sale of Century Retail Park, and it's lasted less than 7 years, just how does the council expect the residents to trust their "long term" vision for the town? Long term, in their eyes, appears to be long enough to reach the next election and long enough to scrape some cash out of the public coffers before they retire. TRT

LuthersLoveChild says...
4:28pm Fri 1 Jun 12

[quote][p][bold]TRT[/bold] wrote: Quite so. Seeing as though the last high street / parade revamp was paid for with cash raised from the sale of Century Retail Park, and it's lasted less than 7 years, just how does the council expect the residents to trust their "long term" vision for the town? Long term, in their eyes, appears to be long enough to reach the next election and long enough to scrape some cash out of the public coffers before they retire.[/p][/quote]you're probably onto something here. secure another term in office and worry about the implications later. Howe about they spend the money buying a few of the empty shops on the high street and rent them out to entrepreneurs / young people at a bit of a discount for the first year or so. Generates income, increases footfall, reduces the unsightly look of boarded & whitewashed shop windows. It also gives them a bit of control over what the type of shop opens so that we can limit the sprawl of ghastly takeaways, pubs and pound shops. LuthersLoveChild

Reg Edit says...
4:30pm Fri 1 Jun 12

What happens to people when they get into council. Why do they have this need to spend money on flights of fancy? I doubt they would be so stupid when spending their own money, but I suppose it's different with "free" money, i.e. somebody elses. Kick them out and get some proper people into council, people who care and have common sense. I am of course talking about UKIP who meet both of the above criteria. Reg Edit

The Rover says...
4:38pm Fri 1 Jun 12

[quote][p][bold]Reg Edit[/bold] wrote: What happens to people when they get into council. Why do they have this need to spend money on flights of fancy? I doubt they would be so stupid when spending their own money, but I suppose it's different with "free" money, i.e. somebody elses. Kick them out and get some proper people into council, people who care and have common sense. I am of course talking about UKIP who meet both of the above criteria.[/p][/quote]Its because they are completely out of touch with reality. Whilst many are struggling they are cushty on their 6 figure salaries, paid for buy us, and have no concept of just how much money £4.3 million is. The Rover

Barley says...
5:43pm Fri 1 Jun 12

Whoops sorry TRT! Was thinking of the old car showroom opposite the station.... Barley

Reg Edit says...
7:07pm Fri 1 Jun 12

Rover,

not all the councillors are filthy rich. It's a madness that inflicts them to think the money is theirs to spend as they see fit, and then they look for things to spend it on so that they can try to justify why they got elected in the first place.

We need people in the council, both local and county, who will treat the money like it is their own and only spend it wisely.

Daniel Hannan made a great speech in the USA. He recounted a time in the EU parliament when a natural disaster had happened. One EU MEP stood up and said "we must give 5 million euros". He was warmly applauded. Another stood up and said "no, we are the EU, a rich nation, we should give 10million". He too was warmly applauded. A third stood up and proposed that this too was not enough, and that the EU should give 13million. Applause all round. Daniel stood up (he is the missing UKIP MEP, currently undercover in the Conservative party) and suggested that as an act of solidarity with the victims of this disaster, the EU MEPs should each give up one day's EU parliament attendance allowance to the disaster fund.

Guess what? No applause.

I think our local council are afflicted by the same disease, "generosity with other peoples money".

Vote UKIP - we won't forget whose money it is and we'll save you a packet.

Come to our stand in Charter place tomorrow, meet some of our team and find out more about our policies. We look forward to meeting you.

Rover, not all the councillors are filthy rich. It's a madness that inflicts them to think the money is theirs to spend as they see fit, and then they look for things to spend it on so that they can try to justify why they got elected in the first place. We need people in the council, both local and county, who will treat the money like it is their own and only spend it wisely. Daniel Hannan made a great speech in the USA. He recounted a time in the EU parliament when a natural disaster had happened. One EU MEP stood up and said "we must give 5 million euros". He was warmly applauded. Another stood up and said "no, we are the EU, a rich nation, we should give 10million". He too was warmly applauded. A third stood up and proposed that this too was not enough, and that the EU should give 13million. Applause all round. Daniel stood up (he is the missing UKIP MEP, currently undercover in the Conservative party) and suggested that as an act of solidarity with the victims of this disaster, the EU MEPs should each give up one day's EU parliament attendance allowance to the disaster fund. Guess what? No applause. I think our local council are afflicted by the same disease, "generosity with other peoples money". Vote UKIP - we won't forget whose money it is and we'll save you a packet. Come to our stand in Charter place tomorrow, meet some of our team and find out more about our policies. We look forward to meeting you. Reg Edit

dontknowynot says...
7:38pm Fri 1 Jun 12

well I suppose seeing as Dotty seems to hijack events for her own ends and Dickie has his own advert on the front page every week UKIP tasking over the comments page is just enterprising, however a bit more varied posting would be appreciated. dontknowynot

Reg Edit says...
8:07pm Fri 1 Jun 12

Got it!

Here's an idea for council, I hope dotty is listening as I've found a way out of this dilemma so the £4.3 million doesn't have to be wasted on dotty's latest flight of fancy.

The £4.3 million has to be spent on infrastructure projects. Seems stupid, but ok, rules are rules, even if they lack common sense. I suppose it's a bit like civil service budgets, where if there's money left over in January it has to be spent by april or you will get a reduced budget for that the following year. Stupid I know, but it's tradition in the civil service.

Well, what if the £4.3 million wasn't spent at all?

The council could reduce next years budget for infrastructure by....£4.3 million!

If the council budget was reduced by £4.3 million, then council tax could be reduced by.....£4.3 million.

To you and me, that's a tax cut of £54 per voter.

Where would you rather that £54 be, spent by the council poncing up the pond or in your own pocket?

And why spend so much, is it just because you budgeted £4.3 million (probably £5 million with all the consultants fees)?

Dotty, you really don't have to spend this money - we don't want it wasted in this or any other way.

Got it! Here's an idea for council, I hope dotty is listening as I've found a way out of this dilemma so the £4.3 million doesn't have to be wasted on dotty's latest flight of fancy. The £4.3 million has to be spent on infrastructure projects. Seems stupid, but ok, rules are rules, even if they lack common sense. I suppose it's a bit like civil service budgets, where if there's money left over in January it has to be spent by april or you will get a reduced budget for that the following year. Stupid I know, but it's tradition in the civil service. Well, what if the £4.3 million wasn't spent at all? The council could reduce next years budget for infrastructure by....£4.3 million! If the council budget was reduced by £4.3 million, then council tax could be reduced by.....£4.3 million. To you and me, that's a tax cut of £54 per voter. Where would you rather that £54 be, spent by the council poncing up the pond or in your own pocket? And why spend so much, is it just because you budgeted £4.3 million (probably £5 million with all the consultants fees)? Dotty, you really don't have to spend this money - we don't want it wasted in this or any other way. Reg Edit

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Source: www.watfordobserver.co.uk